Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarefied world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.
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"This book was recommended to me and I am so glad I read it. Thrilling, engaging, and imaginative, I really couldn't put it down and read it very quickly. The dragons' personalities were my favorite character elements and I loved the setting. Can't wait for the next one!" — Patience (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book was recommended to me and I am so glad I read it. Thrilling, engaging, and imaginative, I really couldn't put it down and read it very quickly. The dragons' personalities were my favorite character elements and I loved the setting. Can't wait for the next one!"
“Novik’s engaging debut is a perfect blend of the familiar and the fantastical, with both exciting air battles and the natural history of dragons described in what would be well-researched detail if it didn’t happen to originate in the author's imagination.”
“All hail Naomi Novik for seizing on an entirely different set of literary conventions for her fantasy debut—the dashing Brits-on-ships genre perfected by Patrick O’Brian. In His Majesty’s Dragon, Novik plunks her scaly beasts into the Napoleonic Wars, as members of the Aerial Corps, air cover for the beleaguered Royal Navy as it fends off a French invasion.”
“The characters are beautifully and realistically realized, and the plot is suspenseful and exciting. Novik’s use of dragons as an air force isn’t original, but the execution is superb and the descriptions of air maneuvers fantastic. The plot cracks along, with few pauses, leading to a denouement that leaves a few tantalizing morsels for the next volume.”
" A must read set of books I listen to it every day I'm a bit addicted the characters are great and the battles are exciting no regrets at all "
" I loved Uprooted by Naomi Novic so I had to try the Temeraire series, and it did not disappoint. Great story! Wonderful characters (especially the dragons) and exciting story. "
" An unconventional use of dragons set in Napoleon's time. The very detailed description of the dragons, their breeds, personalities, and background stories all make this a must-read for fantasy buffs. "
" I just read this last month. I, honestly, expeced not to like it very well but the sample I read on my Kindle made me fall for it. The characters are well written and the situations they find themselves in really makes you feel for them. "
" Fans of Anne McCaffrey and Patrick O'Brian will like this series. "
" I loved this story. One of the best books of this genre that I've ever read. I'd recommend this to anyone, even if you aren't into scifi or dragon stories. "
" Adorable, wonderful, nerdy, cute. I am addicted. "
" Like putting the works of C S Forester and Anne McCaffery in a blender, with resulting genius. A superb first novel of a series set against a backdrop of Napoleonic warfare with dragons. "
" Really excellent. The mannerisms made me laugh; being a gentleman is so stodgy. Temeraire is wonderfully realized. You can't help but want a dragon after reading this. "
" Fun start to a series. I haven't been engrossed with a book this much since Night Circus. "
" I don't really know why I read this book but do somewhat find myself regretting it now... "
" Flavors of Master and Commander, Pride and Prejudice, and Dragonriders mixed into an amazing book! "
" Definitely not my usual genre, but I love the author's style. I'm through book 2 now, but I intend to finish the series. I'm not going to review each book separately because they're more like episodes of a tv show than separate tales. "
" A fabulous romp of a tale, great characters and depth of story. "
" I've accepted the fact that I'm not going to finish this book. I don't know what happened - it had all the right elements, I just really stopped caring about it after a while. "
" Alternative history of the Napoleonic Wars, the centerpiece being the aerial corps--dragons which speak like they're characters in a Jane Austen novel. Clever and creative. "
" I loved this book. Completely loyal to each other, I thought it was so sweet. Laurence and Temeraire were so amazing. "
" Loves this whole series. I want a dragon of my won! Interesting look at Britain and Napolean ere / battles. Alternate history done well. "
" An excellent start to the series. "
" Nice, easy read. Engaging story. I read very little fiction, and this was an enjoyable break from my heavier reading. "
" Fantastic series. I love it so much I reviewed it on my blog. Smart, action-packed Dragon Fic for the Jack Aubrey and Jane Austen set. "
" A quick fun read - I will read the next ones for sure. "
" Laurence is a little old, but at least his dragon is young. "
" really enjoyed this one, but now I am having problems finding the second one at the library. "
Naomi Novik is the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, the Temeraire series, and the award-winning novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver. She is a founder of the Organization for Transformative Works and the Archive of Our Own.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.
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